Shia Minorities in the Contemporary World

New comparative perspectives on Shi'a minorities outside the Muslim world
Global migration flows in the 20th century have seen the emergence of Muslim diaspora and minority communities in Europe, North America and other parts of the world. This book offers a set of new comparative perspectives on the experiences of Shi'a Muslim minorities outside the so-called 'Muslim heartland' (Middle East, North Africa, Central and South Asia). It looks at Shi'a minority communities in Europe, North and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia and discusses the particular challenges these communities face as 'a minority within a minority'.
Key Features
¿ Provides comparative insights into Shi'a Muslim communities across the globe, set in Muslim minority contexts
¿ Makes an important contribution to understanding the global dynamics of contemporary Shi'a Islam
¿ Illustrates how transnational Shi'a networks operate in Muslim minority contexts
¿ Discusses the impact of events in the Middle East on Shi'a Muslim minorities across the world
¿ Case studies include an in-depth ethnographic study of the Shi'a community in Buenos Aires; insights into the unique challenges of Shi'a Muslims in Sri Lanka; the connections of Shi'a Muslims in Cambodia to Iran; and the limits of sectarian differences among Shi'a Muslims in Germany
Oliver Scharbrodt is Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Birmingham. He is the author of Islam and the Baha'i Faith: A Comparative Study of Muhammad 'Abduh and 'Abdul-Baha 'Abbas (2008) and co-author of Muslims in Ireland: Past and Present (Edinburgh University Press, 2015). He one of the editors of the Yearbook of Muslims in Europe. Yafa Shanneik is Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Birmingham. She researches the dynamics and trajectories of gender in Islam within the context of contemporary diasporic and transnational Muslim women's spaces.